Article supporting rack



P 1931- J. s. GEORGE ET AL 1,821,546

ARTICLE SUPPORTING RACK Original Filed g- 11. 1925 INVENTOPS im J @44 m Z-" l1 TTORNEYS flriginal application filed August 11, 1925,

l atentecl Sept. 1 1931 UNETEC STATES PATENT QFFECE JAMES S. GEORGE AND ROGER S. SPERRY, OF HATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCBS T0 SCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION or CONNECTICUT ARTICLESUPPORTING RACK Serial No. 49,524. Divided and this application filed December 23, 1928. Serial N0. 156,621.

I and unloading may be readily accomplished.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an article-supporting rack particularly suitable for use in dipping articles in a lacquer bath, such that there is a minimum waste of lacquer, and such that the support may be readily disassembled for repairs, cleaning or the like.

With these general objects, and others in view, the invention consists in the features, combinations, details of construction and arrangements of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawin s and then more particu- D 7 larly pointed out.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, with parts in section, of a supporting. rack constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view (enlarged) taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the support. p

The parent application above referred to describes an apparatus for dipping shelllike articles, such as a box part or half, in a lacquer bath. The articles are mounted on supporting fingers on a rack pivoted on a conveyor and by the conveyor movement are caused to be immersed in and withdrawn from a bath.

Referring to the drawings, 11, 11, indicate twin conve or chains having a hanger rod 12, the ends of which are mounted in opposite links of the conveyor chains. On the.

rod are spaced bushings 14; located between the chains and adjustably fixed collars 15.

The article-supporting rack comprises a cross bar 16 and end pieces 17, the cross bar fixed collars 15.

being secured to oblique lower edges of the end pieces. In the front edge of each end piece is an open-faced polydirectional slot 18 having at the top an arcuate bearing portion 19 for takingover the hanger rod 12.1 At the lower end, each end piece extends outwardly in the form of a lip 20. When the rack is hung on the hanger rod, by means of the bearing 19, it is free to pivot thereon, end play being prevented by the- This pivotal mounting permits the rack to keep, by gravity, anormal position as the chains travel through their tortuous path, and permits the rocking or tilting movements hereinafter referred to.

'The construction described also permits the rack to be removed upon a polydirectional movement thereof ith respect to the hanger rod. That is, the rack is first movedin a direction to enable the rod-receiving or bearing portions of the slots to clear the rod. Then, by a movement in a direction at an angle to the first movement,-the rack is shifted upwardly and to the left so that the bearing portions of the slots can clear the rod. The rack is now free to be moved away from the rod by a left and slightly downwardly movement. It will be noted, however, that the rack cannot be removed without polydirectional movement because for no unidirectional movement will the bearing portions of the slots clear the rod. The rack is replaced, as will be apparent, by a reversal of the polydirectional movement described.

In connection with the rcmovably and pivotally mounted supporting rack there is provided releasable means for normally preventing removal of the rack. lVith the type of rack above described this may be accomplished by normally preventing the initial removing movement of the rack, i. e. the movement of the bearing portions 19 of the slots away from the rods. This movement is prevented by cooperating stop elements on the rack and conveyor, at least one being displaceable from stopping relation. Although capable of various constructions, in that here shown as an example, slidable on the rod 12 are two stop blocks in the form of round washers or collars 22. Extending upwardly from the cross bar 16 of the rack is a flange 23 having its upper edge formed with a central low point 2e and two end stop shoulders 25. In latching position the blocks 22 are located at or near the ends of the rod 12 and opposite the stop shoulders 25. A tendency of the rack to move in the initial direction above described brings the shoulders 25 and blocks 22 into engagement before such initial movement can be completed. Consequently, as long as the stop blocks are so located the rack cannot be removed. As the stop blocks 22 are symmetrical with respect to the hanger rod, the action is the same no matter in what angular position the rack may be located on its pivot. To enable the rack to be removed, the stop blocks 22 are slid inwardly along the rod until they are opposite the low portion 24 of the flange 23. This portion is cut down far enough to permit the initial movement of the rack without engaging the stop blocks. The construction described provides an effective holding means for the racks and one that is quickly and readily released to permit removal of the racks, frequent removals being desirable for cleaning and other purposes.

There is provided means for firmly supporting the articles on the racks and in a manner to permit ready loading and unloading. This may be accomplished by a plurality of article-engaging fingers the tips of which are located in more than one straight line, at least one finger being movable and havin a sprin tending to press it into article-engaging position. The embodiment here illustrated is designed for the coating of articles of the type which may be termed shells, that is, articles having a body portion and a rim or side wall. The particular articles here shown are round box parts, 6. g. the upper or lower half of a round brass box. In coating such articles, the shells may be supported by hangers consisting of three fingers, the tips of which take into the corner or crevice formed between the shell body and rim.

Although capable of various constructions, in that here shown as an example, each rack carries a plurality of hanger units. As these units are duplicates the description of one unit will sufilce. Removably secured to the crossbar 16 by bolts 27 is a spaced plate 28. Clamped against the crossbar by plate 28 is the looped end of a double pronged wire 29. Both prongs are bent downwardly at a substantial right angle. At the bottom, the ends of the prongs are bent upwardly at an obtuse angle, but in opposite directions, to form two fixed fingers 30. Cooperating with the two fixed fingers 30 is a movable finger 31. This is formed by a wire 32 which has a straight portion slidable in a thimble 33 secured in a hole in plate 28 by having its rim turned down thereagainst and extending through a suitable hole in the crossbar 16. Beyond the thimble the wire 32 isbent outwardly and then downwardly (Fi 2) and at the outer end is bent sharply upwardly to form the finger 31. All three of the fingers have pointed tips to take into the crevice between the bottom and rim of the shell 34, and the tips lie in the circumference of accircle, providing a three-point support for the box. On the wire 32 of the movable finger is an abutment nut 35 and between this nut and plate 28 is a coiled spring 36. This spring tends to pull movable finger 31 away from the other two, the movement being limited by the bend in the wire (Fig. 2).

To load a shell onto a hanger unit, the movable finger is moved inwardly against the spring toward the other fingers, until a shell can span the three finger tips and hook over the same. This may be done by hooking the shell rim over finger 31 and pulling down thereon until the opposite side of the rim can take over the fingers 30, or by pressing down on nut 35 to move the finger 31 to loading position. lVhen the parts are released, spring 36 pulls the movable finger into article-supporting position. That is, in the present instance, the spring tends to pull the movable finger away from the other two, thus firmly holding the shell on the hanger.

In the embodiment illustrated the fingers are so arranged that, in the normal position of the rack (Fig. 4) the shell is positioned to have an interior angle of approximately 50 to the horizontal. And as the racks pivot by gravity to hang in normal position, except when shifted, as elsewhere described, the shell normally has this angular position during the course of its travel. It is noted that the movable linger moves in a straight line. Consequently, different sized box parts or shells will have the same angle when mounted on the fingers.

In the embodiment illustrated, each finger of the hanger unit has a diameter gradually decreasing toward the tip. This taper provides a hanger construction oi suitable strength but with a minimum surface area, and so reduces to a minimum the amount of laquer applied to the fingers and which is,

of course, wasted.

ln the embodiment illustrated, moreover, each finger wire has a downwardly pointing bend or angle adjacent its tip. With this construction the lacquer can readily drain off from the lowest points of the wires and from the inside of the shell, and lacquer on the wires does not drain into the inside of the shell.

The hanger construction described is such that disassembly for cleaning, repairs or the like, is readily accomplished.

Fig. l shows a cam bar 40 having recurrent low portions ll and high portions 452. The rack end piece has a cam-engaging lug 13 riding on cam 40. WVhen the lug is at a low point, as in Fig. 4:, the rack hangs in normal. position by gravity. As the lug travels up a high portion, the rack is swung on its pivot. During this rocking of the rack the shells are firmly supported by the fingers regardless of the rack movement.

What is claimed is:

1. An article-supporting rack comprising a supporting bar, a looped wire bent to form two article-engaging fingers, means for rigidly securing the loop portion of said wire to said bar, a second wire forming a third article-engaging finger, a mounting in which said second wire is slidable, and a spring tending to move said second wire toward normal position.

2. An article-supporting rack comprising a supporting bar, a looped wire bent to form two article-engaging fingers, a removable clamp for rigidly clamping said looped wire against said bar, a thimble carried by said clamp and passing through a perforation in the bar, a second wire slidable in said thimble and forming a third article-engaging finger, a collar on the outer end of said second wire, and a spring located between said collar and said thimble for tending to move said second wire toward normal position.

3. An article-supporting rack comprising three article-engaging fingers, the end portions of said fingers being bent obliquely outwardly and in different directions.

4:. An article-supporting rack comprising a supporting bar having its lower face in an oblique plane when the rack is in normal position, a looped wire, a clamp for clamping the looped end of the wire against said oblique face, the two strands of the wire being bent at substantial right angles to form downwardly slanting portions, the end portion of each strand being bent obliquely upwardly and in opposite directions, thereby to form two article-engaging fingers, a second wire slidably mounted with respect to said bar and haw'ng its end portion bent obliquely upwardly to form a third articleengaging finger, and a spring tending to draw the third finger away from the other two.

5. An article supporting rack comprising a plurality of article-engaging fingers arranged to hold the article in a position at an oblique angle, said fingers being formed'at the ends of wires having downward pointset our hands.

JAMES S. GEORGE. ROGER S. SPERRY. 

